Electric power device



Oct. 23, 1923.- 1,471,957

W. C. HAHNE ELECTRIC POWER DEVICE Filed April 14', 1922 ,4 TTOR/VEYSPatented Oct. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM C. HAHNE, F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC POWER DEVICE.

Application filed April 14, 1922. Serial No. 552,785.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. HAHNE,

a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Elgin, in the county ofKane and State of Illinois, have .invented a new and useful Improvementin Electric Power Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to improvements in electric power devices, anditconsists in the combinations, construction and arrange ments hereindescribed and claimed:

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed in which a current is generated without any appreciable lossin the power or lighting circuit, in which the device is connected.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed by use of which a current may be generated on placing thedevice in series with the ordi nary power or lighting circuit, thecurrent generated being more than enough to offset the slight decreasein voltage in the- 26 powerof lighting circuit due to the resistance ofthe device itself.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed for generating an alternating current of a pre- 80 determinedvoltage from the ordinary type of direct current power or lightingcircuit.

Other objectsand advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this application, in which bodiment of my invention, and V Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic view of a part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1,showing the primary shunt in operation.

In carrying out my invention. I make use ofa base 10f suitableinsulating material. A pair of binding posts 2 is provided at one end ofthe base 1 and electrically connected to feed wires 3 and 4 of a directcurrent system. A second pair of binding posts 5 is disposed at theopposite end of the base 1 and the posts 5 are electrically connected towires 6 and 7, uponcwhich the load, such as motors, lamps, etc., iscarried.

A transformer having a core 8, a primary winding 9 and a secondarywinding 10 is Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view ofan em-' mounted upon thebase 1. The primary winding 9 is electrically connected by means of thewire 11 to the load line 6 at one end and to the feed wire 3 by means ofa line 12 at its opposite end. The line 12 has in series therewith asolenoid coil 13, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

The feed line 4 is electrically connected to the load line 7 by means ofa wire 14. It will be evident from the foregoing description that thecurrent consumed by the load carried across the lines 6 and 7, unlessotherwise controlled will pass from the feed wires 3 and 4 through thesolenoid 13 and the primary 9 through the load.

A shunt bar 15 of relatively heavy gage metal is shunted across theterminals 16 and 17 of the primary winding 9 through a commutator 18.When the commutator 18 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, thebar 15 is shunted across the terminals of the primary winding 9andcurrent passing from the line 3 to the line 6 will take the course ofleast resistance, i. e., the bar 15. A condenser 19 is shunted acrossthe commutator 18, as shown in Fig. 1.

Means for operating the commutator is provided in an electric motor 20,which is regulated so that the rotor 21 of the commutator 18 willrevolve a predetermined number of times a second to produce apredetermined frequency of interruptions of current flowing through theprimary winding 9. The motor is connected by means of the wire 22 to thewire 14 on one side of the power or light circuit and by means of thewire 23 through a switch 24 to the opposite side of the power or lightcircuit.

The switch 24, when closed, as shown in Fig. 1, will cause the motor 20to operate and when open will serve as a. means for stopping the motor.

A soft iron plunger 25 is disposed within the solenoid coil 13 andnormally held in an elevated position by means of a tension spring 26. Abar 27 is carried by the plunger 25 and extends downwardly through thelower opening of the solenoid 13. A contact shoe 28 is carried by thebar 27 and is electricallyconnected by means of a wire 29 to the line3-line 6 side of the power or light circuit. The shoe 28 is normally outof contact with the uppermost of a series of contact plates 30. Aresistance 31 is connected in series with the contact'plates and thelowermost contact plate is electrically connected by means of a wire 32to the wire 11 on the line 3-line 6 side of the circuit at the oppositeend of the primary winding 9.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. In using my electric powerdevice, I connect the binding posts to the opposite poles or lines 3 andl: of a direct current feed system and I connect the binding post 5 tolines 6 and T upon which the load, such as motors and lamps is carried.I then close the switch 2% and the motor 18 will operate, causing therotor 21 and the comn'iutator 18 to revolve. lVith each half revolutionof the rotor 21, the bar 15 will be shunted across the primary 18 andcurrent will pass from the line 3 to the line 6 as though the primarywinding 9 were not connected in the circuit at all. it the opposite haltcycles of the rotor 91, however, the bar 15 is not shunted across theprimary winding 9 and current which is flowing through the load mustpass through the primary *inding 9, thus building a strong magneticfield thereabout and causing an induced flow of current in the secondarywindinglO, which by means of the binding posts 83, is electricallyconnected to an auxiliary load. hen the rotor 21 has resumed theposition shown in Fig. 1, the bar 15 will again be shunted across theprimary winding 9 and the field previously built up about the primarywinding 9 will collapse and a second induced flow of current will occurin the secondary winding 10, this time in the opposite direction. Thecurrent flowing in the secondary winding 10 will therefore be analternating current. To guard against an excessive flow of currentthrough the primary winding 9 when the load is heavy, I provide anautomatically operated shunt resistance represented by the resistance31, the contact shoe 28, the plunger and the solenoid coil 13. \Vhen thecurrent is relatively heavy, the solenoid coil 13 will. draw the plunger25 downwardly by the increased energy brought about by the relativelyheavy current flow to the load and the shoe 28 will move down to theposition shown in Fig. 2 or even to the lowermost cont-act plate, if thecurrent 13 is heavy enough. This will cause the lines 32 and 29 tovirtually unite and form a shunt of low resistance across the winding 9and the current will be divided in its flow through the winding 9 andthe shunt thus formed.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a primary coil adaptedto be connected in series with an electric light or power circuit, asecondary coil inductively coupled to said primary coil, a conductor oflow resistance means for intermittently shunting said conductor of lowresistance across said primary coil, whereby a current is induced insaid secondary coil, a second conductor of varying resistance and meansto auton'iatically shunting said second conductor of varying resistanceacross said primary coil as the current in the light or power circuit isincreased.

2. A device of the character described comprising a core of iron, aprimary coil disposed on said core and adapted to be connected in serieswith an electric light or power circuit, a secondary coil inductivelycoupled to said primary coil, a conductor of low resistance means forintermittently shunting said conductor of low resistance across saidprimary coil, whereby a current is induced in said secondary coil, asecond conductor of varying resistance and means for automaticallyshunting said second conductor of varying resistance across said primarycoil as the current in the light or power circuit is increased.

3. A device of the character described comprising a core of iron, aprimary coil disposed on said core and adapted to be connect-ed inseries with an electric light or power circuit, a secondary coilinductively coupled to said primary coil, a conductor of lowerresistance than said primary coil, :1 commutator for intermittentlyshunting said conductor across the terminals of said primary coil, meansfor operating said commutator, whereby a current is induced in saidsecondary coil as said conductor is intermittently shunted across theterminals of said primary coil, a second conductor of varying resistanceand means for automatically shunting a second conductor of varyingresistance across said primary coil as the current in the light or powercircuit is increased.

4. In a device of the character described, a primary coil adapted to heconnected in series with a light or power circuit, a conductor ofvarying resistance and means for automatically shunting said varyingresistance across the terminals of said primary coil as the current insaid light and power circuit increases, the resistance of said conductorof varying resistance being lowest when the current in said light orpower circuit is at its maximum.

WILLIAM C. HAHNE.

